World premiere of "Death Becomes Her" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
CHICAGO (CBS) — It's an over-the-top musical that brings some of Broadway's brightest stars to chicago for its world premiere.
The stars of "Death Becomes Her" sit with CBS 2 to talk about their campy, glitzy musical that gives life to the perils of pursuing eternal youth.
The flashy farce features powerhouse performances—youth-obsessed frenemies Madeline, an actress played by Megan Hilty, and Helen, portrayed by Jennifer Simard.
Rockford's own Grammy-winning Michelle Williams is a mysterious woman who tempts them with a magical youth elixir with horrifying and hilarious side effects.
The musical to die for makes its Broadway debut in the fall, but Chicagoans can catch its preview at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through June 2.
It's based on the 1992 film starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. Hilty said the movie is one of her all-time favorites.
"It's one of my top three favorites of all-time," Hilty said. "I'm so excited for people to experience this script and this score. It is just so smart."
"To be picked to be one of them is real 'pinch-me' stuff. Let's be honest," Simard said. "Let me just do a shout-out to Noel Carey and Julia Mattison, who are our composer and lyricist. I am so excited to be on the ground floor to what they have done."
The film relied heavily on CGI and special effects. How do the actors pull it off on stage?
"There's a lot of magic in the show," Hilty said. "I know a lot of people are going to show up to see how we put a hole in a lady and turn another lady's head around. How do you not do that?"
"What an exciting life I lead. Honestly. Who gets to do this? It turns out me," Simard said.
What does the show say about the quest for eternal youth?
"The show really questions how far one is willing to go to chase the idea of perfection," Hilty said.
